The move comes in the wake of news that the Chinese President had postponed his trip to Pakistan owing to the uncertainty in Islamabad.
As their protests enter the 23rd day, leaders of both groups remain resolute in their demand for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
- Nisar said he was willing to "put aside" his grievances against the accusations put forth by Aitzaz Ahsan
- Nisar wants an FIR to investigate allegations made Ahsan against him. He promises to resign if 'even 1% of the allegations' are proven to be true.
- PTI to move sit-in to D-Chowk today
- MQM and JUI-F chiefs agree sit-ins should be postponed in the wake of heavy rains and consequent flooding
Read all our coverage of PTI’s Azadi March here and the Inqilab March here.
Updates of the Islamabad protests from September 5, 2014, can be found here.
September 7, 12:05am
JI chief Sirajul Haq says the protesting parties have presented their demands, and the government has given its response on it.
"The last stage is that we do not want a deadlock to happen and this matter remains unresolved. We want everyone to be accommodated."
Haq says they have listened to the demands of PAT and PTI on the resignations of Punjab chief minister and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and have proposed a third alternative that can accommodate everyone.
We don't want democracy to be derailed, nor do we want the long marchers to go home empty handed.
He added that the political leadership is trying to resolve the crisis, however, as things stand, they are heading towards disappointment.
September 6, 11:55pm
Imran Khan asks his supporters to reach D-Chowk at 5pm on Sunday. Reiterates demand for Nawaz Sharif to resign.
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September 6, 10:45pm
PPP Senator Aitzaz Ahsan says that he has let bygones be bygones after the Prime Minister asked that intransigence by Nisar should be ignored. However, he added that differences with the government will remain, but that incident should end now.
“The party and I think that my personal conflict should not derail the larger cause,” Ahsan added.
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September 6, 9:50pm
Condemning the murder of Allama Ali Akbar Kumaili, Imran Khan says the attacks on the Shia community are part of an international conspiracy to spark a sectarian war in Pakistan.
The PTI chief says that his party will take the prime minister to Supreme Court for lying in National Assembly.
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September 6, 9:30pm
Speaking to the media after meeting former president Asif Ali Zardari, PPP leader Rehman Malik said that the political jirga was doing its best to resolve the deadlock and would not disappoint the nation.
Malik said that the parties involved should shun blame game and instead promote the politics of reconciliation, Radio Pakistan reported.
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September 6, 9:17pm
Sirajul Haq and other members of the opposition's politcial jirga have reached Karachi where they will meet with former President Asif Ali Zardari.
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September 6, 6:19pm
Chaudhry Nisar seen addressing the media. EXPRESS NEWS SCREENGRAB
In what was dubbed as his "shortest" press conference ever, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar decided on Saturday to put his personal grievances against PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan aside, saying “preserving democracy" in the country is more important than preserving his dignity.
Nisar also called for a judicial commission to be formed to investigate the allegations that Ahsan made against him. Read the fully story here.
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September 6, 12:23pm
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Saturday agree that sit-ins held in Islamabad by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) should be postponed in the wake of heavy rains and consequent flooding, according to an MQM press release.
The two politicians discuss the current political crisis in Pakistan over the phone and shed light on the flood situation in Punjab and Kashmir.
Read the full story here.
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September 6, 12:23pm
Interior minister will hold a press conference at 6pm at the Punjab House, Express News reports.
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September 6, 11:42am
The meeting has ended, Express News reports.
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September 6, 10:21am
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has reached the PM House and his one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has started, Express News reports.
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September 6, 9:33am
Imran has left his container and is on his way to his house in Bani Gala in a black car, Express News reports.
Express News screengrab of the PTI chief in his car.
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September 5, 11:30pm
Imran Khan appeals to various sectors of the society, including off-duty police and military officers to join his sit-in.
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September 5, 11:20pm
We are moving back to D-chowk on Saturday, as this place is insufficient to accommodate PTI protesters, says PTI chief Imran.
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September 5, 9:12pm
In a joint press conference with PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar says: “There has been tangible progress during the talks today.”
“We want to conclude this as soon as possible to improve the economy and political stability which is hampering foreign dignitaries from visiting,” Dar adds.
Qureshi says, “Jehangir Tareen and I will meet Chinese ambassadors tomorrow to assure them that if the Chinese president visits, the PTI will welcome him and clear ways for him.”
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September 5, 8:20pm
A war of egos tested recent claims of a ‘united’ Parliament when allegations made by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar against PPP leader and Senator Aitzaz Ahsan led to a heated joint session of Parliament.
Read here for the full story.
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COMMENTS (60)
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The Army should either disperse those doing the sit-ins or dismiss the Government. This continued crisis is causing catastrophic consequences for the country. Calamitous continuation could cause cataclysmic collapse.
A US court decided that IK had fathered a daughter with Sita White but IK lies about it while calling almost everyone else a liar. Why should Imran not take care of his daughter and make sure she gets the best of education?
My friends it is not matter of TUQ or IK, these both were used as puppets in the power game. Imran Khan ruin his party and promoted a new culture of abusing others which were never been witnessed before. Now he could not find way to go back. TUQ is an agent of foreign forces who want to destabilize Pakistan especially Punjab which was relatively progressing.... these both were used to stop Chinese president who was coming to sign an historic accord upto $ 34billion which can change fate of country and people and enemies of Pakistan succeeded. Now PTI finished and TUQ will go back for another plot.....and we PAkistani want to have a new Pakistan lead by Imran Khan, TUQ or Sh Rashid what a shameful naya Pakistan.
@Itl: You may think all is doom and gloom but I prefer to believe western analysts who said Pakistan's economy was improving before all this dharna nonsense. Do you think an independent US financial firm like Moodys upgraded Pakistan's economic ranking in hardly one year for no reason? The truth seems to be that Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri are being manipulated to create instability to prevent economic growth and development. You saw the Chinese leader turn away from a visit that would have lead to many projects. The Dharna is succeeding in undermining growth and this is its main aim. This why people want violent protesters to stop. The PM should never resign in the face of a mob.
@Ayesha: what progress ??! The place is already a failed state!
@Sara No. In no other democracy elected PM is thrown in to Jail to Rot because some people want it. Care to explain why he should be thrown to jail. Ok PTI go ahead with court as well and you will loose there as well.
@Naeem Malik: Please stop using PML only use N-League becaue it hearts to see that people using Pakistan Muslim Leagues name to do corruption in Pakistan and for ALLAHS blessing you have to do justice first.
@Faisal, @Sara Spot on. I think may be majority of pakistanis need even worse conditions (economic wise, security wise, moral wise, infrastructure wise, corruption wise, etc.) than are currently prevailing, to support a revolution. In other words, more adverse conditions than what are today, are needed to create a sense of desperate want for a revolution. Until then law of inertia prevails! If there is a will, there is a way - 67 years are normally more than enough for a resource-rich country to improve and develop. An example is China.
After 67 years, we are still begging from IMF and West! - Is this independence?
But IK does not trust the judicial commission tasked with investigating electoral malpractices. And, he likes the SC only when it decides in his favor. (Heads I win, Tails you loose.)
So far 125 million spent on Long March of PTI. Who is doing all this expense? This is just wastage of resources. Budget of KPK is being wasted on Long marches, Dharnas and public rallies.
I feel pity for those people who are still supporting IK. It is a fact that he is an agent of those hidden forces who want to destroy country's economy. Since the start of Dharna, economy is badly hit. Our foreign exchange reserves have also started coming down. Chinese President has postponed his visit. Only enemies of the country and Imran Khan are happy on all this situation. I feel pity on the mental health of those people who support IK. One more thing that I was a firm supporter of IK. I was one of the founder member of PTI. But no more.
Earlier there were few thousand people in Dharna. Now there are only few hundred. Is it called Million March? Imran and PTI have completely failed. Their popularity has come even more down. Imran's politics is harming the position of PTI in the country.
Pakistan and democracy will win; while Master of U Turn Imran will fail.
This long march is just an attempt to hide PTI's failure in KPK. PTI will be completely removed from KPK in the next elections.
The people like Nisar who is establishment mole have brought NS to this stage. If he still does not see the truth then he would never be a success. NS and PTI have to drop dead loads like Nisar. No political party should accept him after his selfish role to drown NS govt at this late stage when it seems to have survived.
@Gohar KPK: please get your figures straight. The highest number of polo cases have been uncovered in Lahore and pindi. The total number is 117.
Yup that's exactly what they mean@Itl:
This is the level of our democracy (In Pakistan). Where personal matters are discussed in Parliament for hours. Have they ever discussed the problems of Pakistani people with such eagerness and interest?. Killings in Karachi, IDPs problems, Power shortage etc. Thinking about the people who follow these culprits.
Nisar+Nawaaz vs Hashmi+Imran. Just compare the two couples and then decide yourself whom do you find better one. Remember Hashmi has left Imran while Nisar obliged his boss PM to apologize. Which couple do you like the best? Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Former Diplomat / Kuwait / zaidiformerdiplomat@hotmail.com
I am shocked that so many people are still supporting a prime minister who in any civilised democratic country in the world would have already been thrown in jail to rot ..... or worse! It seems to me that Pakistanis are quite content to live in squalor under the thumbs of their "entitled" feudal masters. It's high time the nation found it's dignity by demanding on mass the resignation of a prime minister who is evidently unfit intellectually and morally to lead this country to a progressive and prosperous future!
Let me try again : If Ch. Nisar decides to tell the full truth, he will be doing the nation a service.
Ch Nisar should seriously consider postponing his Press conference. It will create complications.
@Faisal: "Sadly, a vast majority of Pakistanis are still sleeping."
Faisal, we need our sleep. We have to go to work tomorrow. We must work, so that IK and TUQ and their backers in barracks can enjoy the rain with a hot cup of coffee.
Government played trump card. Imran+Qadri didn't realize that government wanted to get the protestors cleared from Parliament House but failed despite resorting baton charging, using tear gas, firing rubber bullets, injuring and killing and therefore Aristotle or Plato advised the government to say that Chinese President is coming so they agreed to vacate the place and returned back at D Chowk but in fact Chinese VVIP is not coming and the place is already vacated by them. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / zaidiformerdiplomat@hotmail.com
All my prayers for respected Nawaz Sharif. Allah give him health, happiness and long life.
When will the nation get rid of Imran Khan and Tahir ul qadri.
Where is the new KPK? More than a year has gone. That was to be built within 90 days. Imran, please stop your nonsense now.
Both imran and qadri were successful on postponement of chinese president visit.
This was their main motto.
They should now end protests
@ Imran I am not sure we should be talking about civilised society here when the so called politcians of Naya Pakistan fool the nation that whole election was rigged and than work of the Non constitutional Script...testimony of elected PTI president is enough to open our eyes and behave like civilised nations. Thanks!
its now clear and self explanatory that elections were fair, Just imagine, Imran Khan and Sheikh rasheed won from Rawalpindi, so called more than 2 lakh voters/supporters, Asad umer won From Islamabad, more than 1 lakh voters/supporter, mr. sarwer won from adjacent area, KPK is next to them. Maximum 10000 people in dharna, that the true figure, i think IK rig the election in these areas and someone support them to get these seats. IK should accept his defeat and let us to work properly. simply childesh
I feel sorry for these people who are critical of IK and sing praises of NS. It is for these people God has said that they have ears but they can't hear, they have eyes but they can't see.For 65 years the nation has been fooled by these imposters yet some do not realize.I pity them.
@MAK: PTI has got a turn in my province KPK. What have they done there? Nothing. Situation in KPK is very poor. No improvement. KPK government has badly failed in Polio from the province. KPK has the maximum polio cases as compared to other provinces. There were heavy rains in Peshawar but Cm was absent alongwith all his cabinet. They were busy in Dharna and they are still busy in Islamabad. What a shame for these people. People of KPK voted for PTI for some positive change; not for such illegal long marches and dharnas. PTI got their turn but not next time.
Long live nawaz sharif.
I voted for PTI and im proud of my decision. I will vote AGAIN Inshallah , Enough of this misleading political monarchy... Its shameful the way people oppose IK and favour NS while knowing whats wrong and whats right.
@H. Khan....yes no civil society will allow a liar to continue as a Prime Minister except pakistani civil society
@Naeem Malik: You mean after lies upon lies by NS&Co.! Why would you want blessings for someone who is proven a liar and a cheat! The latest feather in NS's cap is lying about the visit of the Chinese President.
Ch Nisar saheb should be pragmatic and cool down a bit. There will be time and place to respond with evidence but this is not the right time Look at all the false and malicious accusations being leveled against the PM and his family by Mr Irman Khan and Mr Qadri.No civil society allows such things
@Asim Mahmood: yeah right. He should learn excellence in decision making from PMLN
@Faisal: Spot on. He should realize what happened to Fatima Jinnah. Enough said.
@MAK This is democracy. PPP and PML(N) come into power due to power of vote. PTI should perform and take turn. They have got a chance but badly failed. In USA, Republican and democrats take turn. In India, Congress and BJP take turn. This is called democracy. But you people will never understand. You people want to come into power through short cuts with the backing of Establishment.
@Humza: move on and develop? You mean become a failed state with broke citizens and billionaire rulers?
I can say just one thing about Imran and Qadri. Substandard politics by substandard politicians.
Go Imran Go. Go Qadri Go.
First PTI and PAT ruined our independence day 14 August. Today they ruined our Defence Day 6 September. I am fed up from these two anarchists.
I am ashamed of voting for PTI. But not again.
PTI moving back to D Chowk. Definitely it would be advised to them by their mentors Establishment.
I think the only mistake Imran Khan has made is of thinking that Pakistanis have woken up. Sadly, a vast majority of Pakistanis are still sleeping. Theystill don't realize how corruption in election affects their lives. They're still simply accepting the monarch. I don't blame them because media, advertisement and fear has made them this way. Time will come but unfortunately some Pakistanis aren't ready to change just yet.
I do think however, that after Bilawal Bhutto, and Humza Nawaz, and maybe even after their generations are done taking turns, Pakistanis might, just might start to question the system but for now, good luck to us all.
And we have a loser...
Imran Khan should get married. Maybe that might help.
Stop harming Pakistan Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri. You don't believe in the democratic process so just go back to your containers and let the country move on and develop.
End to this Corrupt system where PPP and PMLN take turns
Imran Khan and PTI should be ashamed of themselves. Now they want to meet the Chinese to say they are not against the state! They have done enough damage to Pakistan's economy and image. A true friend is one who tries to guide you to make the right choices. Imran Khan let himself be manipulated but he should have listened to the advice of Javed Hashmi. The longer he continues his nonsensical protest, the more he makes his party look like clowns.
He needs a psychiatric evaluation.
Imran Khan has nothing to do. That is why he is wasting the time of nation too.
Allah bless Pakistan. Allah bless PML-N.
Imran is continuously fooling the nation. Earlier there were few thousand people in his dharna. Now there are just few hundred. He is requesting the people again and again to come in sit-in but people are not coming. He should get the decision of public.
I suggest Imran Khan to please end this sit-in completely. This sit-in is creating hurdles in the country's way towards progress.
Why going back to D Chowk. It means his first decision to go before Parliament House was wrong. I believe that his every decision is wrong.